Wisconsin's groundwater law, Ch. 160, Wis. Stats., established the framework for a comprehensive approach to protect public health and welfare and the environment. The intent of this law is to minimize the concentration of polluting substances in…
Current public health and public welfare groundwater standards are contained in Ch. NR 140, Wis. Adm. Code.
On October 23, 2018, America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) was signed into law and is an amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). As stated by U.S. EPA, AWIA "improves drinking water and water quality, deepens infrastructure investments…
Source water and wellhead protection A sound plan has a to-do list that identifies a list of priority measures. The plan can be updated as actions are completed. Adopting a wellhead protection ordinance is the most fundamental protective action,…
What is pandemic influenza? A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine. The disease spreads easily person-to-person…
If you are currently experiencing an emergency:During normal office hours, contact your DNR Rep. If you don’t know your rep, you can look them up on the DWS portal.After hours/on the weekend/holiday – contact 608-576-5358 to talk to the officer on…
Public notification is an important part of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made significant changes to the Public Notification Rule, which were added to Wisconsin Administrative Code, Ch. NR 809,…
Livestock manure may infiltrate drinking water wells from field application, spills and weather events. Manure may contain fecal bacteria, viruses and nitrates that can cause acute illness, especially in sensitive populations such as infants, women…
Lead is a common metal. Although originally used in many consumer products, lead is now known to be harmful to human health if ingested or inhaled. It can be found in lead-based paint, air, soil, household dust, food, some types of pottery and…